The Five Scarves - Origins 7: Tai Wong
by RaceProUK
Summary: A young leopard wakes in the middle of a dense forest with no memories, no clothes, no food, no water, and no idea where she is, how to get home, or even where home is, a peril only made worse by her inability to speak or understand the local language. Can she find help before it's too late?
1. Chapter 1

The city of Shuigang may be the smallest of the three Origin Kingdoms, but it is no less impressive than the other two. In stark contrast to Shang Mu's veneer of wealth and prosperity and Shang Tu's spiritual elegance, Shuigang is a fortification, a military stronghold. Despite this however, inside the city, it feels just like any other: a living, breathing entity made from hundreds of thousands of living, breathing entities.

Outside the city walls, it's a very different story. Aside from a well‑defended wide arterial access road, the city of Shuigang is surrounded by dense forest, with the minimum of trees cleared between the forest and the walls to prevent stealthy attackers getting too close before being spotted. The citizens of the forest also differ from those of the city, for it is an untamed wilderness outside the pocket of civilisation that is Shuigang.

It's not uncommon for the citizens of the city to enjoy pursuits such as hunting in the forests, but they never venture too deep. Stories spread through the city on a regular basis about strange beasts that lurk in the deepest, darkest parts of the forest. Descriptions vary from the ridiculous to the asinine, yet the stories are believed nonetheless. In truth, few who venture that deep come to harm, and of those that do, the chances of being attacked by a Red Scarf ninja assassin covering their tracks and deeds far outweigh the chances of being savaged by a wild animal.

The Scarves that venture deep do so to dispose of incriminating evidence where it's almost certain to never be found, and it has been known for a handful of members to dump bodies as well. But if the Scarves believe they're the only people dumping unwanted items deep in the forests, they are sorely mistaken.

* * *

Deep in the middle of the night, a compact off‑road vehicle drives far into one of the densest parts forest, guided only by the faintest of lights. The driver doesn't find this an issue however, his feline eyes making easy work of the darkness. Eventually, the vehicle comes to a halt in the densest part of the forest, and the driver and his passenger alight and head around to the back.

"I'm still not sure about this," the driver informs the passenger.

"Look, neither of us wants to kill her, and we can't risk her being found," the passenger replies. "This is why we agreed to bring her this far from home."

"And we're dumping her in the wilderness, why?" the driver asks.

"She's led a sheltered life," the passenger reminds. "She doesn't have any survival skills. She'll be dead within a week. And if by some miracle she survives, she'll be so far away, she'll never make it back."

"Is it bad I hope she does survive?"

"Would you be able to live a normal life, knowing your memories are non‑existent before the age of fourteen?"

"I can't imagine anything worse."

"Exactly. If the wilderness doesn't kill her, she'll take her own life."

"I'm almost tempted to kill her out of mercy."

"I won't stop you."

The driver hesitates. "I can't."

"Thought so," the passenger replies. "Come on, let's get her out."

The driver opens the luggage compartment, and with the passenger's assistance, lifts the body bag within out, carries it a short distance, and places it under a bush.

"Let's get out of here," the driver decides.

Both driver and passenger return to the vehicle, climb aboard, and drive away. As they drive away, the girl inside the body bag stirs, but remains asleep, still under the effects of heavy sedation.


	2. Chapter 2

Several hours later, with birdsong filling the air as the sun rises above the treeline, the girl inside the body bag stirs again as the sedative finally wears off. As she wakes, she murmurs gently, her senses clouded by a thick fog.

A few seconds later, her panicked scream pierces the forest, the songbirds scattering in a flurry of petrified squawks and feathers. Consumed by terror, the girl thrashes wildly inside the bag, trying desperately to escape. Her struggles prove futile initially, but as she grows more desperate, she extends her claws. The bag soon falls prey to the girl's panicked slashes and is shredded in seconds.

Now free, the amber‑furred and chartreuse‑green‑haired leopard sprints away from the remains of the bag, still screaming loudly. She doesn't stop until she runs out of energy ten minutes and five miles away, where she collapses in silence, panting hard, her lungs burning from the effort.

Ten minutes later, with her breath and wits recovered, the leopard pushes herself to her feet and takes stock of her situation. And immediately, there are several major problems. _Where am I? This isn't… um… Where am I from? Is this near home? Where is home? I need to find someone. Will they know I'm…? Um… Who am I‽ Why can't I remember anything‽ What happened to me‽_

The last few thoughts send the girl into a fresh panic, worse than the first. Hyperventilating, she drops to her knees, then to all‑fours, fighting back a rapidly rising nausea triggered by the shock of realising she has total amnesia. Despite her best efforts, she cannot control it, and she dry‑heaves, her stomach already empty.

After a few minutes, the leopard calms down enough to start thinking rationally again, and she gets back to her feet. _OK… I need to find someone to help me._ Her stomach growls loudly. _But first, food._ The girl then looks down at herself to find she's naked. _And clothes._

* * *

Half an hour later, the leopard has found some berries to eat, and has collected some large leaves and thin vines to fashion some rudimentary clothes. It's not much, but it satiates her hunger enough to be comfortable, and her makeshift clothing covers all the areas that need to be covered. With her immediate needs satisfied, the girl turns her attention back to her predicament and any possible solutions. _OK… I don't know who I am, I don't know where I live, and I don't know where I am. I have no idea who to contact if I find someone to help me, and I have no idea if anyone will recognise me._

The girl sighs deeply. _I must start at some point: may as well be now._ She stands, checks her makeshift clothing is staying in place, and looks around. _Which way to go? Wait, why am I asking myself that? It's not like I… I know where I'm meant to be… Come on girl, keep a hold of yourself._ The leopard takes a deep breath, selects a direction at random, and starts walking.

* * *

By midday, the leopard had walked many miles, yet didn't seem to be making any headway on finding her way out of the forest and to a town for help. With hunger rising again, this time combined with thirst, the girl's morale has plummeted. _This is hopeless._ Feeling dejected, the girl sits heavily on a flat rock, which proves to be pleasantly warm. Not that this comforts the leopard: her thoughts are utterly consumed by the futility of her‑

The blare of a horn pierces her depression. _What was that‽_ Curious, the leopard stands and heads in the direction of the horn. As she walks, other sounds start to hit her ears, and soon, she starts running. _I don't know what those sounds are, but I know I must head towards them._

A minute later, the leopard bursts out of the treeline… and runs straight out into the middle of the road right in front of a large goods vehicle travelling at speed. The piercing blare of the horn and the screech of tyres pushed to their limits causes the girl to freeze in terror, staring wild‑eyed at the goods vehicle barrelling towards her. Her fear and panic are so total she doesn't even scream: she stands like a statue, awaiting the inevitable.


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's note: This chapter uses romanised Thai, and may not display correctly on all devices._

* * *

The hiss of pneumatics signals the fact the goods vehicle has miraculously stopped just six feet from the petrified leopard. The driver leaps from the cab and sprints to the front of the vehicle, the relief that the girl is alive visible as she breathes a massive sigh of relief. "What on Avalice has gotten into you, young lady?" she asks.

The leopard doesn't respond: she doesn't even move.

"Are… Are you OK?" the driver asks, approaching carefully and reaching to touch the girl's shoulder gently.

As the driver's hand touches her shoulder, the leopard leaps out of her fur, screaming loudly. "Xyū̀ h̄̀āng «c̄hạn wị̂!" she yells, backing away from the driver.

"I'm sorry, I don't‑" the driver begins, trying again to approach.

But the leopard is too scared to listen, and she turns tail and flees as fast as she can.

"‑understand that language," the driver sighs, returning to her vehicle and driving away.

* * *

A few minutes later, the leopard returns to the roadside. _That was dumb. She could have helped me! And all I did was yell at her and run away. What language did she speak, anyway? I clearly don't know it: it's not the one I spoke. For that matter, what language_ did _I speak? Why am I asking myself these questions? It's not like I know the answers._ With a sigh, the girl looks along the road both ways, unsure which direction to take. After looking a few times in each direction, she realises there's a road sign a few hundred yards away. Curious, she walks alongside the road and stops under the sign. _I don't recognise that script… At least I recognise the numbers. What units are they in though? It doesn't say._

Figuring the other direction looks less promising, the girl passes the sign and follows the road.

* * *

A few hours later, delayed only by a brief foraging for berries and a drink from a mercifully clean stream, the leopard finally sees something promising on the horizon: a walled city, its tallest buildings topped with viridian roofs. _A city! Now I can finally… um… I have no idea who to contact. I don't even know if there's an… um… whatever it is I need to find. Even if there is, I'm not going to know it's going to help me. Not unless they recognise the language I speak. How many speak it anyway?_

Knowing it'll be some time before she's even remotely close to learning the answers, the leopard continues towards the viridian city in front of her. It takes another hour to cover the distance, but eventually, she arrives at the main entrance. And immediately, there's a concern. _An armed guard at the entrance? What if my people are at war with them? Whoever my people are. If I even_ have _a people. Maybe I should find another way in._

Taking care to stay a safe distance from the main gate, the girl finds a place to hide and plan her next move. After a few minutes, she's in luck: a heavy goods vehicle pulls over close to where she's hiding. The driver exits the vehicle, takes a strange device from his pocket, taps on it several times, then holds it up to his ear and starts talking into it. Initially confused, the girl suddenly realises this is her chance. Making sure the driver is looking the other way, the leopard sprints to the rear of the vehicle, opens the rear door (without understanding how she knows what to do), and slips inside, closing the door behind her.

A few minutes later, the leopard hears the driver get back into the cab, start the engine, and resume his journey. The girl waits until she's sure she must be inside the city, and when the vehicle stops next, she quickly opens the door and exits right onto one of the city's busiest roads. Her fear spiking again, the leopard sprints away from the goods vehicle and off the road into a nearby alleyway, where she takes a few moments to compose herself. _You're in. Now to find someone who can help you._


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's note: This chapter uses romanised Thai, and may not display correctly on all devices._

* * *

For the rest of the day, the leopard wanders the city streets, trying to find someone to help her. However, she has no luck, as no‑one can understand the language she speaks, and she can't understand the language the citizens speak. As the afternoon turns to evening and the light begins to fade, the girl's priorities change: hungry and thirsty, she decides to seek out nourishment. But with no money and no idea how to get any, the girl is left with only one choice: she must steal.

The first couple of attempts go smoothly: taking advantage of her natural speed and a handful of stores with outside displays, the leopard manages to steal several pieces of fruit, which go some way to satiating both her thirst and hunger. However, having eaten and drunk so little throughout the day, she finds the seemingly endless riches of the city irresistible, and before long, she's getting bolder, walking into shops and dashing back out with anything she can lay her hands on.

Eventually, with her hunger fully satiated and her thirst fully slaked, the girl ends her petty crime spree and finds an alleyway in which to hide and rest a while. Initially she intended only to rest for a few minutes before resuming the task of finding someone to help her, but exhaustion takes over, and she falls asleep under a makeshift quilt of cardboard beside a dumpster.

* * *

The leopard wakes with a start several hours later to find it's the middle of the night and surprisingly cold. Shivering under the cardboard, the girl's fear rises as her eyes struggle to adjust to the low light in the alleyway. After a few moments however, her need to warm up takes over, and she stands and starts to make her way out of the alleyway.

It's at that moment three burly thieves run into the alleyway, knocking her over and almost trampling her as they attempt to flee the police chasing them. Two of the thieves run past without issue, but the third trips over the leopard and falls flat on his face. The other two thieves slide to a halt and turn back to help their fallen comrade to his feet, then the trio dive on the girl and pin her to the ground.

"What's your problem?" the one who fell growls, bearing his teeth just inches from the petrified leopard's face.

"C̄hạn k̄hxthos̄ʹ!" the girl apologises. "C̄hạn mị̀ dị̂ h̄māy t̄hụng!"

"Don't mess with us kid, if you know what's good for you," the second thief commands.

"C̄hạn mị̀ k̄hêācı!" the girl protests desperately.

"What is she saying?" the third thief asks the first.

"Not a clue," the first thief answers. "Whatever it is, she's gonna pay for getting in our way!"

"Kruṇā xỳā!" the girl cries, tears flooding down her face, fearing for her life.

The first thief raises his fist to strike.

The girl screws her eyes shut.

The blow never lands.

The first thief looks up to see his wrist is in the vice‑like grip of a _very_ angry steel‑blue wolf. "Who the‑" is all he gets to say before the wolf lifts him off the ground and over his head, letting go to send the thief flying down the alleyway behind. The wolf then grabs the other two by their necks and drags them off the girl, brutally dumping them with their comrade.

"Run," the wolf growls viciously, moving into the light so the thieves can see his red scarf.

The thieves take one look at the scarf and scarper.

Satisfied the thieves won't be returning, the wolf returns to the petrified leopard, sits at her feet, and pulls a protein bar from a pouch on his belt. "You must be hungry?" he asks softly, offering the snack.

Slowly, the girl opens her eyes. At the sight of the wolf, she scrabbles backwards.

"Don't worry, I won't hurt you," the wolf assures in his softest tones. "I have food. Want some?"

For several moments, the girl can only stare at the wolf, still in the vice‑grip of fear. Eventually however, the fear starts to fade, and the wolf's words register. _What… What is he saying? Is… Is he trying to… He's trying to help me? Can I trust him?_ Gingerly, the girl sits up, then slowly begins to crawl towards the wolf.

The wolf remains motionless, the snack held in front of him in a loose grip. When the girl is close enough, she snatches the snack and backs away a few feet.

"Thought so," the wolf smiles warmly. "I have water too," he adds, producing a small bottle and offering it to the girl, who again repeats the same cautious crawl, snatch, and retreat. As she eats and drinks, she watches the wolf, but he simply sits and waits patiently, watching with kind eyes.


	5. Chapter 5

_Author's note: This chapter uses romanised Thai, and may not display correctly on all devices._

* * *

A few minutes later, with both snack and drink consumed, the girl finally speaks: "Khuṇ khụ̄x khır? Khuṇ ch̀wy c̄hạn thảmị? Khuṇ ca thảr̂āy c̄hạn h̄ịm?"

The wolf doesn't understand the girl's language, but he does understand her mood, and holds out his hand, open with palm up in a gesture of friendliness. Still suspicious, the girl approaches with caution, then reaches out to touch the wolf's hand, pulling back on contact. She repeats this a few times, each time allowing the contact to last a little longer, until after the seventh time, she takes hold of his hand and starts to relax. "K̄hx k̄hxbkhuṇ."

The wolf doesn't need a translator to know he's just been thanked. "My honour," he replies, smiling warmly, laying his other hand gently on top of the leopard's.

The girl flinches at the contact, but leaves her hand in place, and relaxes again a few moments later. Now sure that this wolf is going to help her, her fear vanishes, replaced by an inner warmth. Unable to hold back, she starts to cry silently as she moves in close and hugs the wolf. Sensing how cold the leopard is, the wolf gently returns the hug, and soon she stops shivering.

As he loosens his hold to stand, the girl grips a little tighter. "OK," he assures, restoring his firm yet gentle hold as he stands. "I'm going to take you somewhere you'll be safe. Is that OK?"

The girl doesn't understand his words, but his tone is so warm and reassuring that she nods. "Chı̀," she agrees.

With a gentle grace that contrasts so starkly with his bulk and stature, the wolf carries the leopard to his nearby motortrike and sits on the saddle. He then retrieves his cloak from the pannier bag and wraps it around the girl, who smiles at him in response.

"Hold on tight," the wolf advises.

The girl nods and clings tightly to the wolf as he starts the engine and gently pulls away, beginning the long ride to Red Scarves HQ.

* * *

By the time the pair reach RSHQ, the leopard has been asleep for a few hours. So, when the wolf parks, shuts off the engine, and dismounts the trike, she wakes with a start, almost falling before the wolf catches her and helps her off the trike and onto her feet. "K̄hxthos̄ʹ."

"Don't worry about it," the wolf assures. "Come with me," he continues holding out a hand. "I'd like you to meet someone."

The girl is wary, but the wolf has been nothing but caring and compassionate to her, and he's the only person she feels she can trust. Nervous, she takes his hand, the wolf's warm grip lending a feeling of reassurance. "Reā ca pị thī̀h̄ịn?"

"To meet Leader Song," the wolf answers, guessing the girl's question from context. "She'll be able to help you more than I can."

The girl doesn't understand the words, but somehow, she knows the answer is the one she was hoping for. "Reā kảlạng rx xarị xyū̀?" she smiles.

"Glad to see your mood is continuing to improve," the wolf smiles back. "Come on," he adds as he begins to lead the girl through RSHQ.

* * *

At this early hour, RSHQ is quiet, and the pair pass very few Scarves on their way to Leader Lillith Song's sanctum. When they get there five minutes later, the wolf knocks firmly on the door, then waits patiently. The girl however starts to fidget as her nerves return, but a quick gentle squeeze of her hand by the wolf calms her down again.

Eventually, the door opens to reveal a tired‑looking bronze civet with a silver pixie cut clad in a loose silver bathrobe, her golden eyes dulled with fatigue. "Xander, do you have any idea what time it is?" she yawns in frustration, not yet noticing the amber leopard.

"Apologies, Leader Song, but I felt this was urgent enough to require your immediate attention," Xander replies, tilting his head towards the girl, who is now partially hiding behind him.

Lillith looks down and sees the girl for the first time. "Oh… I uh… Hello."

"S̄‑S̄‑S̄‑S̄wạs̄dī," the girl stammers.

"She doesn't speak Xiàndài?" Lillith asks Xander.

"Not as far as I'm aware, no," Xander confirms. "I don't know _what_ she speaks."

"I do, but I'm rather rusty," Lillith reveals. "Nevertheless, it's worth a shot," she adds, turning to the girl. "T̄ĥā khuṇ t̂xngkār khwām ch̀wyh̄elụ̄x c̄hạn ca ch̀wy h̄ı̂ khuṇ c̄hạn s̄ạỵỵā."

The accent and enunciation are both terrible, but it works: the girl's eyes widen at the sound of her own language, and she throws herself at the civet, wrapping her arms around Lillith in a tight hug.

"Huh… I remember more than I thought," Lillith thinks aloud. "Xander, you did right to bring her to me. She'll be safe, I promise."

"Just doing what's right, ma'am," Xander acknowledges. "Apologies for waking you at this hour."

"Don't worry about it," Lillith assures. "If you like, you can rest here a few hours."

"Thanks for the offer ma'am, but I think it's best I return home, so I'm not in your way," Xander replies, turning to leave.

Suddenly, Xander feels a tight grip around his torso as the girl hugs him again. "K̄hxbkhuṇ s̄ảh̄rạb thuk s̄ìng," she whispers.

"Like I said, it's my honour," Xander replies warmly, returning the hug. "I'll see you around, kid."

The girl releases Xander and watches him leave before rejoining Lillith in her sanctum, dabbing tears of happiness from her eyes.


	6. Chapter 6

_Author's note: This chapter uses romanised Thai, and may not display correctly on all devices._

* * *

The following morning, Lillith's alarm goes off, stirring the civet from her sleep. _Mrrrr… At least I was woken during the night for a good reason._ Doing her best to wake up fully, Lillith slides out of bed, throws on her silver bathrobe, and pads into the main room to see… no‑one. _Where on Avalice is she‽_

Lillith's concerns are resolved quickly as the girl pokes her head out of the door to the compact kitchen. "S̄wạs̄dī txn chêā!" the girl greets.

Lillith sighs in relief. "You gave me a scare for a moment there!" she smiles.

"C̄hạn thả xarị p̄hid phlād h̄rụ̄x mị̀?" the girl asks, a worried look on her adorable visage.

"No, it's OK," Lillith assures. "It's just, I expected you to sleep long- C̄hạn khād h̄wạng h̄ı̂ khuṇ nxn h̄lạb xīk t̀x pị," she continues, switching back to the girl's language.

"K̄hxthos̄ʹ," the girl apologises.

 _I really need to teach her how to speak Xiàndài._ "Don't worry about it," Lillith dismisses kindly. _And she needs proper clothes too. And a name. But I can ask for that later._

* * *

Over the course of the day, Lillith works with the girl to select a suitable outfit, and to begin teaching her Xiàndài, the main language spoken in the Origin Kingdoms. Luckily, the girl proves a natural at learning new languages, and by evening, has already learnt enough to be essentially conversant.

"I must say, I'm incredibly impressed at how quickly you've picked up the local language," Lillith compliments as she and the leopard settle down to relax for a few hours after a busy day.

"Th‑Thanks," the girl replies, now clothed in a cute white razorback tank top and royal blue leggings. "I d‑don't understand how I can l‑learn it so quickly th‑though."

"Think of it as a gift," Lillith advises. "I just realised: you haven't told me your name."

"I… don't know what it is," the girl admits.

"I don't understand," Lillith replies, confused.

The girl takes a deep breath. "I can't… I can't remember anything… from before yesterday… it's all… it's all…" she tails off, tears forming in her eyes.

"Oh… I'm so, so sorry," Lillith apologises. "I didn't realise."

The girl takes a deep, shuddering breath, dabs her eyes dry, and recovers her composure. "I-It's OK."

"I guess we'll have to come up with a new name for you," Lillith decides.

"A… new name?" the girl asks.

"You'll need a name of some sort eventually," Lillith informs. "May as well pick one now. Any ideas?"

The girl shakes her head.

"Hm… I can find a book of names?" Lillith suggests.

"OK," the girl agrees.

"In that case, wait here, and I'll be back in about fifteen minutes," Lillith replies.

"Where are you going?"

"To the library."

"Can you bring back some stories?"

"Sure."

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Lillith returns with half a dozen books, including one containing lists of names, and hands them all to the girl. "Take as long as you need."

"Thanks!" the girl smiles as she dives into the book of names. However, as she starts to skim through, she notices the cover of one of the other books out the corner of her eye. Curious, she puts the name book to one side and picks up the storybook. "This girl looks like me."

"Hm?" Lillith looks at the cover to see an amber‑furred leopard with long chartreuse green hair. "Huh, so she does."

"What's her name?" the girl asks rhetorically, opening the book and quickly reading the first couple of pages. "…Tai Wong. I like how pretty that sounds."

"Well, if you like it, use it," Lillith suggests.

"I will," Tai agrees. "Um…" she adds, a thought occurring to her.

"I've already arranged for accommodation for you here," Lillith informs, correctly guessing Tai's question.

"Accomo-what?" Tai asks, confused.

"A place to live," Lillith explains. "Although it will mean joining the Red Scarves."

"You've helped me so much already, it would be rude of me to refuse," Tai smiles, tears of happiness in her eyes. "It's my pleasure to join your… um… group?"

"Guild," Lillith corrects warmly. "And it's _my_ pleasure to welcome you to your new home, Tai Wong."


End file.
